Lycia

Understand

Rugged and forested, pine-clad mountains in Lycia descent right to the coastline heavily indentated with gulfs and coves, making the region top yachting area in the country.

Geographically, Lycia occupies Teke Peninsula, a large U-shaped expanse of land between Gulf of Fethiye to the west and Gulf of Antalya to the east, in the southwestern corner of the country. In modern political terms, Lycia forms southern half of Muğla Province and western third of Antalya Province, which divide Lycia into roughly equal halves along north-south flowing Eşen Çayı, or Xanthos River as it was known in ancient times.

Ancient Lycia was a democratic federation of city states, which is thought to have influenced the United States constitution. Today, most towns in the region have some remnants from the ancient Lycian civilization, in the form of sacrophagii, distinctive rock tombs, or city ruins.

Unlike its neighbour to east, Pamphylia, which welcomes its visitors in large all-inclusive resorts, Lycia is more of an independent traveller destination and tourism in the region evolves around small guesthouses and fairly pleasant coastal towns, some of which such as Olympos still preserving their hippy-ish atmosphere. However, some large resorts—not up to scale that is found in Pamphylia, though—are present here too, in the western around Marmaris, and Fethiye and eastern around Kemer ends of the region, as long as geography permits.